Introduction

Using Mobile Devices to Develop ePortfolios

There
is a lot of discussion focused on the use of mobile devices to develop
ePortfolios. Mobile devices allow immediacy of access, which may let
students slow down to reflect within the context and time of a learning
experience... Not at a time removed when memory is less fresh. In the
near future we may have opportunities to implement these strategies with
emerging tools, such as iPad/iPod Touch/iPhone devices, Android
tablets, including the XO-3, become affordable and available in schools.

But
not all educators have access to smart phones or direct access to the
Internet. I received the following comment from an educator in Jamaica:

Do
you have anything on the use of mobile phone text messaging (SMS) to
teach children who are functionally illiterate. My final thesis is in
this area, because the population of Jamaica is appox 2.7 million
people, with 2.4 million Mobile phone users, yet they have banned its
use in many schools for some of the same reasons it is banned elsewhere.
My purpose is to show that the technology or tool can be used
constructively.

I received this comment in an earlier message from Trent Batson, AAEEBL's Executive Director:

...we heard a woman from Guatemala lamenting that few kids have
Internet access but "everyone has cell phones." Not smart phones, yet,
but at least that's doable for places like Guatemala.

I've
also been communicating with educators from Egypt to Brazil, and
because of the lack of connectivity, I often write to them about
implementing ePortfolios with tools we were using in the late 90s. (I
read a recent report about the high cost of Internet access in
developing countries compared to average monthly income.) But worldwide,
the universal connectivity tool is the cell phone. My granddaughter
updates her Facebook status here in the U.S. from her cell phone (not a
smart phone). In this document, I want to explore connectivity from cell
phones with online generic tools used to develop ePortfolios, such as
GoogleApps and WordPress. I know it is possible with smartphone apps,
but most of the developing world is using SMS. I have been collecting
iPhone Portfolio apps. So, I will analyze the application of mobile
devices and their integration across the ePortfolio process.